The article title makes it sound like a bad thing, but I had a great time alone and sober in Memphis.
My trip started out as a plan to see a friend of mine in Oklahoma City and as soon as I found out that it was a 12-hour drive, I decided that I would make some stops on the way there and on the way back.
“What is a cool and convenient place to stop on the way from NW Indiana to Oklahoma City?”
It was not “on the way,” but Memphis is a place that I have wanted to visit for years, so I started planning.
I found a quirky but cool Airbnb that was only minutes from the famous Beale St., and I booked that for two nights. It was an old warehouse building, converted into condos, and that is a very common theme in the downtown Memphis area where I was. It was clean and comfortable (even though I spent very little time there) and had a rooftop deck with a killer view of downtown. It also overlooked the mighty Mississippi River.
The only thing that I encountered there (semi-negative), was a very strong smell of weed in the hallways of the floor that I was on. You couldn’t smell it in the unit, and I am not one to be “triggered” by that, but it’s always a risk that you take when booking an Airbnb.
I got in on a Tuesday at about 4:30 p.m. and immediately got cleaned up to head out. I had done my research and would have dinner at the Blues City Cafe. I had read that they had the best ribs in Memphis, and I was determined to find out.
The restaurant looks like a classic diner on one side where you walk in and on the other, they have the bar area and the stage for live music. I was seated on the bar side, which was empty at 5:00 p.m. on a Tuesday, but the bartender was a treat. He was friendly, a little loud and he seemed like he was one of the happiest people on this earth. He grabbed me a Diet Coke and pointed out the ribs on the menu. “You are gonna need to try those,” he said, and that is what I did.
My meal came literally in minutes. A half rack of ribs, fries, a small container of baked beans, and a small container of coleslaw. The ribs were amazing. Tender, juicy, and you could literally pick each of the bones out, clean of any meat. I didn’t try any other ribs while I was in Memphis, but I have had plenty of ribs in my life and these are number one. The cost? With a generous tip, it was only $36.35.
After dinner, I walked up and down Beale St. There was a blues musician playing at the cafe at 7:00 pm, but I had no desire to hang out in a bar for an hour, so I enjoyed some of the other sights and sounds.
Beale St. was the main reason that I wanted to go to Memphis, which is odd I suppose for a sober individual. The street is lined with bars, people walk the streets with the drinks that they got from the walk-up windows at most of the bars and it is a party atmosphere, even on a random Tuesday.
At the time that I am writing this, I have been sober for almost 13 ½ years, and I don’t know that I would have done that even five years ago, but definitely not ten years ago. I won’t go into all the details, but just know that I have done the work, and none of it bothered me or “triggered” me.
I walked back into the bar area at about 6:55 pm and the happy bartender said, “Hey! Do you want another diet? It’s on me.” So, I sat down at a high-top table, with my free Diet Coke and the music started to play.
The smooth sounds of Earl “The Pearl” Banks started to fill the room and so did the crowd of people. Most of the folks were eating those famous ribs and enjoying their favorite drinks, and I just sat back and enjoyed the music. It was the first time that I had been in a bar by myself since I have been sober, and I couldn’t have had a better time.
I was there for about 40 minutes and my sober alarm went off. It wasn’t anything major, but at that moment I had that feeling that I didn’t need to be there anymore, and I left. I mean, it was a bar, and I had my fill of food and music (my reasons for being there), and it was time to go.
I have been fortunate to have that internal alarm for many years now, and I think that may be one of the reasons that I was not at all bothered by going in there, to begin with. I knew that I would instinctively know when it was time to go, and when the alarm went off, I walked out the door.
I wrapped up my night with one more walk down the famous sidewalks of Beale St. The sun had now set, and the street was lit up like a musical Christmas tree. I took in a few more sights and sounds and called it a night.
The next day, I took a suggestion from one of our followers and went to the Arcade Restaurant. Not only was Memphis’ oldest cafe, but it was also a favorite hangout of that guy Elvis.
I probably should have tried breakfast because it is definitely a diner, but I opted for their chicken sandwich and fries. Very simple but delicious. The service was great, the place was cool and once again with a generous tip, I got out of there for only $18.52.
Then I kicked around town for a bit. I walked the streets of Memphis in the beautiful sunshine and took a walk down to a park area, overlooking the Mississippi River. I was the typical tourist, taking pictures of random things and truly just taking in the atmosphere.
Next, of course, I took a drive over to Graceland. I did not take the tour… and maybe I should have, but I had other things that I wanted to do and see. The grounds are massive, and at the entry point, there are restaurants and some shops. Tickets are available to sign up for the tour.
One quick side note. The downtown area of Memphis where I was at, seemed safe and I never felt on edge. However, as I headed out of downtown, and as I was over near Graceland, the areas seemed a little bit more rundown. I am not one to make judgments about things that I don’t know, but I would only suggest that we all be aware of our surroundings.
That afternoon, I headed back down to Beale St. and strolled through a few of the shops, bought a t-shirt from the Blues City Cafe in the store next to the restaurant, and visited A. Schwab, where:
“You can find everything ranging from cast iron skillets to stick horses to old-fashioned candy to ukuleles. Our merchandise is high quality, old-school, eclectic, and quirky. It reflects the delta, local music, local culture, and our own unique history.”
They also have ice cream, and yes, I had cookies and cream cone, which was awesome. I am a huge ice cream freak, and seriously, it was delicious. And their ice cream area reminded me of an old-time ice cream shop. So, there I was, in the heat of Beale St., full of folks enjoying their drinks, and I had ice cream. It was perfect.
That night, for dinner, I took another suggestion from a follower of ours and went to Dyers Burgers, which is another diner-type restaurant, and the folks that work there were amazing. So was the burger.
If you are “one of us,” you have probably hit up a joint like this for some late-night food or some food to help “fix” that hangover from a night on the town. Even though I thankfully have not had one of those experiences in over 13 years, this was the food. And I mean that in the best way possible. I had a burger, fries, and a soda. And get this! I left a $5.00 tip; my total bill was only $15.70.
I headed back to the Airbnb, full and a bit tired, and sat on the rooftop deck to watch an amazing sunset. In the morning, I got up early, headed up to the deck again, and did my morning readings as the sun started rising. It was a bit overcast, so it wasn’t as spectacular as I had hoped, but beautiful, nonetheless.
There are so many things to see in Memphis, and I only scratched the surface. If you have the time, here are a few of them:
- Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum
- Memphis Zoo
- National Civil Rights Museum
- Sun Studio
- Shelby Farms Park
- Stax Museum of American Soul Music
- FedExForum
- Food tours
I did not have a chance to hit a meeting while I was there, but you can find meetings in Memphis on the Alcoholics Anonymous Memphis Area website.
Regardless of what you choose to do while in Memphis, in my opinion, you will not be disappointed. Even if you are sober and alone.
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